Holders for retaining spoons in a stacked condition



April 8, 1958 J. J. SMITH ETAL 2,829,852

HOLDERS FOR RETAINING SPOONS IN A STACKED CONDITION Filed Aug. 24, 1954 ATTORNEY HQLDERS F98 RETAINING SPGONS EN A STACKED CONDITION Joseph J. Smith, Philadelphia, and Oscar Eierrnann,

Broomall, Pa.

Application August 24, 1954, Serial No. 451,244

3 Claims. (Cl. 248--37.3)

The object of our invention is to devise a novel holder and article retainer into which the articles when placed or dropped will assume a stacked condition with the articles in registry and alignment.

it further comprehends a novel retainer which is particularly adapted for the reception of a plurality of spoons in nested and stacked condition, and which will align each spoon or spoons as they are placed in the retainer.

With the foregoing and other objects. in view as will hereinafter clearly appear, our invention comprehends a novel holder and retainer which will automatically stack the articles in alignment and registry.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, we have shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of it which we have found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results. It is, however, to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized, and the invention is not limited except by the scope of the appended claims to the exact arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein set forth.

Figure 1 is a section, on line 1-1 of Figure 2, of a holder and retainer for stacking and retaining articles in a stacked condition.

Figure 2 is a top plan view, showing the holder and retainer with spoons in a nested and stacked condition.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is aperspective view of the article aligner and retainer, in detached condition.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings:

The holder has a base .1, shown as rectangular but which may have any desired contour, and this base contributes with a novel retainer to support and align the articles. v

This retainer and aligner may be formed of any desired material and can be formed from a strand of wire, deflected upon itself to form at one end a loop 2 which opens upwardly. One side of the loop is directed upwardly and forwardly to form a stretch 3 which merges into a top stretch 4 which is directed forwardly and merges into a downwardly inclined stretch 5, the latter merging into a bottom stretch 6 terminating in an eye 7.

In a similar manner, the other side of the loop 2 is directed upwardly and forwardly to form a stretch 8, which merges into a top stretch 9, the latter merging into a downwardly extending stretch 10 which merges into a bottom stretch 11 terminating in an eye 12.

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Patented Apr. 8, 1953 Fastening devices such as rivets l3 secure the retainer to the base.

A stop member 14 has a base flange secured to the base 1 by fastening devices 15. The spoons are indicated at 16.

The stretches 3 and 8, 4 and 9 and 5 and 10 are spaced from each other so as to guide the handles of the articles into their proper stacked position. The stretches 6 and 11 diverge forwardly so that there will be a clearance with the lowermost spoon.

When the spoons are placed in the retainer, it will be apparent that as they slide forwardly the stop 14 will limit their forward .movement and the bowls will nest in alignment one above the other, the handle portions being supported in the loop 2 and guided and aligned by the stretches between which they are positioned.

The loop 2 is positioned above the base 1 so that the articles when in the retainer incline downwardly and forwardly, and can be readily placed in the retainer.

The stretches between which the handles are positioned maintain the handles in alignment.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A spoon holder and aligning device, comprising a base on which the bowl of the lowermost spoon rests, and a spoon receiver and aligner consisting of a strand deflected upon itself to form at one end an upwardly opening loop to receive between sides of the loop a plurality of handles of the spoons and vertically align them one above another, the sides merging into forwardly extending top stretches spaced to align the handles, and merging into downwardly directed stretches of greater length than the loop to cause the spoons to be positioned in an angularly inclined relation with said base and terminating in bottom portions fixed to the base.

2. A spoon holder for retaining a plurality of spoons in a vertically aligned and stacked condition, comprising a base for supporting the bowls of the spoons, and a spoon retainer and aligner consisting of a strand deflected upon itself to form a depending loop closed at its bottom, with spaced sides, and open at its upper end,

said sides merging into forwardly extending, spaced top stretches, which merge into downwardly extending, spaced stretches terminating in bottom portions fixed to said base, whereby spoons inserted into the holder will have their handles supported one above the other in vertical alignment on the closed bottom of the loop between the sides of the loop and the downwardly extending stretches, and said downwardly extending stretches being of greater length than the length of the loop whereby the bottom of the loop is spaced from said base.

3. The construction defined in claim 2, wherein the top stretches are spaced to align the handles of the spoons as they are introduced into the holder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

